Winnipeg to Saskatoon
Outside Julia's window, the vast, flat world closed in on her, a dull grey sky swirling with white flakes much like one of those French-crystal water-domes that were all the rage, while the Canadian prairie receded in a disorienting blanket of wind-swept snow. Her breath frosted the pane as she exhaled. Winnipeg had slowly released the train into seemingly endless, empty miles on its way west, although by the visibility one could not in fact be sure what direction the train was going, since nothing much differentiated sunrise or sunset from high noon; they could be going to the North Pole, for all her senses could discern. She pulled her shawl closer and crossed her arms, giggling softly to herself at that thought, hoping no one noticed. Julia was going to be glad to have her husband back in the seat across from her, since his presence prevented yet another bored and lonely traveler from occupying the space: she much preferred a rigorous discussion with him to the general inanities of "polite" conversation.
And where was William, anyhow? He keeps popping up and wandering off.
She knew William, ever so polite, was escorting their most recent companion off the train, but to her he seemed to be dawdling, yet again. Julia was loath to give up their seat to seek him out, so she merely closed the red velvet window curtains and then her eyes to wait. She must have drifted off because it was only upon hearing the curtains slide open that she noticed William had returned.
She smiled at him as he settled into his seat. "After listening to Mrs. McPherson, I must say I'm striking Winnipeg off my list of places to visit," she confided.
"Well, that's one woman's perspective. Now Julia, you must mind yourself. According to Jasper, people from the west coast don't have much time for us Torontonians."
William's wry expression did nothing to minimize the implied offense. "What could they possibly find wrong with Toronto?"
"I have no idea." He seemed genuinely baffled.
She frowned. "Well… I find the whole idea of not being welcome a little off-putting. Are you sure we are not imposing on your brother and his family?"
"We won't be."
"Even though we're from Toronto?" she teased. William seemed rather sure of himself. In fact his whole demeanor was relentlessly upbeat ever since getting the invitation from Jasper weeks ago. She narrowed her eyes briefly. She found her normally reserved husband's boyish enthusiasm endearing—at least so far.
He demurred. "I don't think so."
She saw him look at her conspiratorially. With a touch of smugness, she thought. Julia wondered what he was up to.
"In any case," he continued, "I have booked us a hotel room for the duration of our stay."
For a second she was speechless. "William!" Ah ha! That is what he has been keeping from me!
His face could not contain a huge grin. "I merely heeded Benjamin Franklin's words. Guests are like fish: they begin to smell after three days."
"It's much like passengers on a train," she quipped.
William guffawed in faux shock. "Julia!"
"Well, it's true," she leaned in to tell him, her laughter matching his. They themselves were on their third day in transit, alongside other 'riper' passengers who began the cross-continental journey in Halifax days earlier. Julia recognized she herself was not as fresh as she'd like to be.
"One would think you of all people should possess a high tolerance for the more noisome things in life."
William often teased her that her work in the morgue and its attendant odors did nothing to mute her sense of smell. "Even so, William, what I deal with in the process of my own work is quite different from day to day social encounters." She lowered her eyes. "You do like the way I smell right after a bath, do you not?"
"Indeed, I do," he agreed, making a broad gesture. "I have reserved us a room in the finest Hotel in all of Victoria. I think you will be pleased with the, ah…accommodations…including private bath."
"Oh, my. William!" She loved it when he wiggled his eyebrows. This time she detected a leer on his face mingled with amusement in his voice. The Canadian Pacific Railway's individual sleeping berths, while more generous than Mr. Pullman's, did not allow a married coupled to share... forget any 'privacy.' Never the less William's slightly suggestive private banter with her was another source of delight on such a long journey. She leaned even closer, walking her fingers up his lapel. "You know, husband, this vacation is taking us off schedule, as it were." His delighted blush rewarded her for reminding him about their attempts for a child. She found his ear to whisper: "What ever shall we do if prime conditions for conception present themselves…?" She inhaled…the scent of soap.
"William?!" she look carefully at him. He was impeccably dressed (of course), hair in place, and shaved (she hadn't thought much about that before.) "I smell soap on you. As in, you seem to have been able to wash up. Where and how?" she demanded. He was at times a sneaky bastard, thinking of his late-in-coming confession regarding Mrs. Kitchen and haircuts. "You are holding out on me!"
"No! No I am not!" he defended. Other passengers craned their necks to take in the commotion. He grimaced and whispered back. "There was a barber in the station; I merely availed myself."
"Humph….I assume there are no such facilities for the ladies, are there?"
He hesitated for a minute, perhaps wondering why she'd need a shave. "No. Not until Glacier House below Rogers Pass where we have an overnight."
Julia saw his mouth draw into an apologetic half-grin, so while she forgave him she did not feel as charitable towards Society in general. "Why is it men's needs are taken care of as a matter of course, yet we women are only an afterthought?" She wrapped her shawl closer and harrumphed, daring William to offer an opinion.
"We always have your idea of ordering a pot of weak tea and sneaking it into the toilet with you. Tannic acid has been used for centuries to reduce odors…"
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William knew he was in trouble as soon as he got off the train for the second time in the 'city' of Saskatoon, such as it was. A handful of years ago it only consisted of the station, station master's house, Mounted Police Barracks, an hotel and about six other cottages, outbuilding and shacks. Incorporating three small villages on both sides of the South Saskatchewan River did not improve matters much, in his estimation, although the river bend was picturesque. Julia had made a bee line for the hotel clustered next to the Barracks, hoping to stretch her legs and get away from the confines of the train during their thirty minute stopover, and unfortunately met him on his way back out of the train car. He thought it was the Turkish towel peeking out from his hand luggage that gave him away.
William felt the heat in his face. "I can explain…" he sputtered. Julia's grip on his arm cut him off, rather painfully.
"Where do you think you are going, mister? You found a bathtub and are planning to use it…without me?"
His wife's voice rose a full octave in an outraged squeak as her blue eyes blazed. Oh, oh… "Julia. Heh, heh…umm…yes, there is a rudimentary public bath house here. For men. Only." He tried to sidle away. "We are stopped here just barely long enough for it, and I have already paid." He said reasonably, adding the winsome smile she liked as he peeled her fingers out of his jacket sleeve. "I did not wish to announce the fact, to spare your feelings of course. It is an, er… open arrangement, you understand, four tubs, a simple curtain, hardly proper for a lady…" He pointed to a short line of men presumably also hoping for a quick wash.
"William. I have been on this train since Tuesday. Bathing. In. A. Sink. Basin." Each word was hissed quite distinctly. "I do not wish to wait another whole day before having a proper bath."
Julia was persuasive when she put her mind to it and William was smart enough to know to put the metaphorical shovel down when he was in a hole. He hated digging holes. But he had to try. "Julia. There will be strangers… men. They'll likely be scandalized. "
She smiled brilliantly, brushing aside all objections. "What a shame for their delicate sensibilities. Since it will not be the first time for me, I'll take my chances. Unless it is you who objects?"
She knew she had him. He knew she had him. He checked his watch and sighed. Thinking fast, he told her she had five minutes, no more, to get ready. God help me…
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Julia felt like she was a school girl, trying to outwit the headmaster on a dare. Accepting William's challenge, she raced to her luggage then her sleeping berth to wiggle out of her dress and into her outdoor walking outfit, determined to get what she wanted even if that meant her stockings stayed on inside her boots and she had no coat. Too bad about the corset laces…. Emerging from the train into the freezing cold, she spied her husband loitering at the side of the train station, gesturing her to follow behind. He fished several dollars from his pocket and a blue ticket, handing them both to her. "I asked for the last two spots," he whispered. "But as we can avoid ever seeing him again…" With what she swore was a twinkle in his eyes, they were off.
Her heart was still racing, thrilled at the idea she could be 'caught' at any time. The bath water was not steaming hot, but sinking into the wooden tub was fabulous, especially after braving the frigid temperatures outside and stealing into the bathhouse past several other male passengers who pressed whisky on her and William. With her trousers and hacking jacket draped over the curtain rod, stockings now gathered in her pocket and William in the next tub over, Julia felt comfortable her 'young male disguise' was effective enough, since she put her hair under a hat and left the shirt untucked and the jacket open to disguise her curves. Perhaps too successful...She suppressed another chortle thinking of the elements which went into her deception. Particularly the nice gratuity going to the attendant. Her only worry was that the old man who took the money and glowered suspiciously believed William was a sodomite with designs on the slender youth in the next bath…
True enough, she knew. William was finding abstaining from marital relations was testing his resolve. Thinking of some of his more racy commentary, she worked to make sure she did not giggle, which would give herself away then the whole game would be up. As crude as the set up was, she did not wish to miss out on this opportunity to bathe.
Julia smiled as she scrubbed with a bit of soap and a rag, careful not to get her hair wet. Her own 'resolve' was under duress as well, by having him so close, all to herself for hours on end, then having to sleep separately. A week of travel there, two weeks in Victoria and a week to travel back was a very long time to curb desire. Thank God William got us a hotel! Staying with Jasper and his wife would be its own sort of problem so solve…
Julia spent some time thinking about the best way to go about seducing her husband. There was no help for it: that would have to wait until Victoria and the hotel William promised her, which was waiting at the end of the trip like what George Crabtree fancifully described as a Leprechaun's gold at the end of a rainbow, although hopefully not as elusive.
He even mentioned the possibility of a champagne fountain, she rhapsodized to herself. How marvelous!
A large splashing sound signaled that William was finished with his ablutions.
"Mister Ogden, the train leaves in five minutes," he called. "Best be on it!"
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-more to come—there will be at least one more vignette about that 6 day train ride….
A/N:Bold text from Home for the Holidays 2017 special
Hi there! I wanted to think about what that train trip from Home for the Holidays was like for W&J, expanding on Julia's quip about unwashed bodies on the train. So this piece is just a little bit of fluff. Cross country rail travel could be luxurious, back in the day. The Canadian Pacific Railway was motivated to expand and compete with the US rail service, producing beautiful train carriages, dining cars, observation cars and sleepers. It was also true in 1906 many people typically bathed only once a week, and there were no bath cars, per se, on a train. The best upgrades had a private toilet and sink in a private sleeping compartment. Sleeping and dining and observation cars were not always attached to the trains because of the expense of transporting them, added and removed as needed. I imagined a bath house in Saskatoon—no idea if there actually was one….The next piece will explore who else W&J might have encountered on the train… Happy New Year-rg